Correlates of Health Care Utilization Among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth

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Abstract

There is limited available information on health care utilization among transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth despite evidence that their specific health care needs may be neglected within the current U.S. health care system. Based on issues of discrimination, transphobia, and inadequate knowledge of transgender health care needs among providers, TGNC individuals may avoid utilizing health care services even when they are accessible. This article uses data from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N=81,885) to determine whether there are differences in utilization of primary, dental and mental health care services between TGNC and cisgender youth, and to identify factors that moderate health care utilization. Results show that TGNC youth were significantly less likely to report receiving primary care and dental care services, and more likely to report receiving mental health care services during the past year than cisgender youth. Factors associated with obtaining primary care services included physical health problems, higher levels of parent connectedness, and not being food/house insecure. Receiving dental care was associated with identifying as non-Hispanic, white, higher levels of parent connectedness, not being food/house insecure and not perceiving one’s general health as fair or poor. Mental health care was associated with identifying as female and non-Hispanic, white, mental health problems, a physical health problem, and higher levels of parent connectedness. In this paper, we examine variation in TGNC health care access. In so doing, we demonstrate how societal gender inequalities facilities widespread disparities for TGNC youth.

Authors

• Nik Lampe, University of Central Florida

• Shannon K. Carter, University of Central Florida

• Lindsay Taliaferro, University of Central Florida

• G. Nicole Rider, University of Minnesota

• Marla Eisenberg, University of Minnesota